Podcast Summary: “Parents want to cut kids’ screen time. Can it work?”

Podcast: Post Reports by The Washington Post
Hosts: Cole Bjkowitz & Caitlin Gibson
Date: November 25, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores the modern dilemma of children’s screen time—why parents want to cut back, the challenges in doing so, and actionable advice for families seeking a healthier balance. Host Cole Bjkowitz interviews parenting and families reporter Caitlin Gibson, drawing on her reporting, personal experience, and conversations with experts and parents.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Pervasiveness of Kids’ Screen Time

• Screens are everywhere: Not just for entertainment—schools, restaurants, and nearly all aspects of modern life now involve screens.
  • Cole Bjkowitz (03:21): “There are screens everywhere. They’re absolutely unavoidable in our lives today. Schools use screens for learning. … Parents are always with their phones.”

2. Why It Matters: Research & Parental Anxiety

• Parental Concern is Rising: Screen time is a frequent topic among parents; data shows a sharp increase in online discussions about tech boundaries.
  • Caitlin Gibson (03:43): “Access to screens and technology is rapidly becoming a really significant topic that comes up.”
• Key Research Findings:
  • Screen and social media use among tweens has surged—from 7 minutes a day at age 9 to 74 minutes at 13.
  • Social media use in tweens predicts increases in depressive symptoms.
  • Screen use is mainly sedentary, linked with physical health issues like weight gain and higher diabetes risk.
  • Even low levels (around 1 hour/day) of social media for under-13s predicted poorer cognitive outcomes 2 years later.
    • Caitlin Gibson (06:24): “Even a low level of social media use… was associated with poorer cognitive outcomes just two years later.”

3. How is This Different Than Past Generations?

• Now vs. the 80s/90s: Modern tech is far more immersive, individualized, and on-demand compared to scheduled TV or basic video games of prior decades.
  • Caitlin Gibson (07:16): “We didn’t have these things streaming on demand where we could watch unlimited amount uninterrupted. … We surely didn’t have iPads and phones … that would let us scroll through anything resembling TikTok.”
• Changing Parental Attitudes: Today’s parents—many Millennials—are more cautious, swinging the pendulum back toward control and intentionality.

4. Why and How Parents Scale Back Screen Time

• Recognizing Red Flags: Parents often decide to restrict screens after noticing negative behavioral or emotional changes.
  • Examples shared:
    • A mother removed iPad access from her toddler after witnessing meltdowns when the device was taken away—even for educational games.
    • Another parent withdrew language-learning apps because the gamified structure led to screen obsession.
    • Caitlin Gibson (09:23): “They knew their kid, they knew what felt okay to them and what didn’t, and … they needed to do something.”
• Child Reactions: Resistance varies with age—toddlers recover quickly, while older kids (like teens) may push back but can adapt with time.
  • Caitlin Gibson (12:12): “He wound up adapting. He was outside more often… The kids do adapt, even if the initial period of adjustment is rough.”

5. Screens and the COVID-19 Exception

• Pandemic Survival: All rules were relaxed during lockdown; many families now face the challenge of re-establishing limits after unlimited access.
  • Cole Bjkowitz (12:53): “There are no rules right now because this is not normal.”
• Expert Guidance: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends a Family Media Plan—a flexible, evolving document to manage screen time based on life circumstance and open family discussion.
  • Caitlin Gibson (13:16): “It is a fluid, adjustable document… you do revisit it together as a family when your circumstances change.”

6. Practical Advice for Parents

• Key AAP guidelines:
  • Under 18 months: No screens.
  • 18-24 months: Only with a parent.
  • 2-5 years: Max 1 hour/day, ideally less; prioritize co-viewing.
  • 6 and up: Customize to family and child needs—there is no “one size fits all.”
    • Caitlin Gibson (26:57): “18 to 24 months is… only if a parent is watching with them… Two to five, they recommend one hour a day.”
• If cutting back:
  • Expect resistance and plan attractive, alternative activities (e.g., park trips, outings) during the initial phase.
  • Keep discussions collaborative, not punitive.
  • Model good digital habits as adults; kids notice.
    • Caitlin Gibson (15:52): “Kids love being the referee of what parents are doing… I love it. I’ll be like, ‘You’re right.’”
  • Don’t allow bedtime phone usage—a consistent recommendation for sleep quality and safety.

7. The Social Media Dilemma

• Delay Social Media and Smartphones: Experts, including Dr. Jason Nagata, advise waiting until at least age 16 before introducing social media.
  • Caitlin Gibson (22:49): “If you can keep them away from social media specifically until they are in… 16 is an age that a lot of people bring up for this…”
• Nuanced Case for Some Online Communities: For marginalized youth, access to supportive online groups can be beneficial—one reason to weigh context and child needs.
  • Caitlin Gibson (24:56): “There are times where finding community online can actually be like kind of a lifeline. So it isn’t all one thing.”

8. Evolving Options & Parental Community

• Strength in Community: The rise of “landline pods”—parents banding together to give children non-smartphone ways to communicate—shows that collective action can help with FOMO or feeling ‘left out.’
• More Data, More Tools: Research now provides firmer ground for recommendations than a decade ago—helpful as today’s cohort navigates their own parenting.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Parental Pause:
  • Caitlin Gibson (01:56):
    “Once you give them something, the ship has sailed, like the genie's out of the bottle … What if you give them something and then it isn’t going well? … Is that doable? And how do we do it?”
• Generational Shift:
  • Caitlin Gibson (07:16):
    “Just in terms of the volume, the nature of the content itself, the way it is affecting a young developing brain… it’s just really kind of not the same.”
• Behavioral Change as a Trigger:
  • Caitlin Gibson (09:23):
    “They all noticed something was wrong… They knew their kid, … and that this was not working and that they needed to do something.”
• Family Accountability:
  • Caitlin Gibson (15:52):
    “Kids love being the referee of what parents are doing… My daughter will 100% be like, why is your phone at the dinner table… and I love it.”
• Research on Role Modeling:
  • Caitlin Gibson (16:00):
    “One of the biggest predictors of adolescent screen use is parental screen use. So … we are constantly modeling something that they are really absorbing.”
• Balancing Nuance:
  • Caitlin Gibson (24:56):
    “It isn’t all one thing… there are times where finding community online can actually be like kind of a lifeline.”

Important Segments & Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------------|------------| | Parental attitudes on screen time (anecdotes) | 00:32–03:21| | Data and research: mental/physical health impacts | 03:43–06:44| | Past vs. present technology | 06:44–08:58| | Parent stories: walking back screen use | 09:23–13:16| | The Family Media Plan concept | 13:16–16:32| | Advice for scaling back & model behavior | 16:32–19:06| | Changes in research since “Screen Age” series | 19:06–22:34| | Social media harm and age recommendations | 22:34–24:56| | Navigating nuance in screen access | 24:56–26:57| | Specific age-based recommendations | 26:57–28:45|

Advice for Parents – Summary

• Observe your child’s unique behavior—and trust your instincts if something feels “off.”
• Use research and guidelines, but tailor your approach to your child’s personality, needs, and circumstances.
• Reassess boundaries regularly via a collaborative family media plan.
• Model healthy digital habits—kids are always watching.
• Create an environment where screen time isn’t a punishment battleground, but a mutual challenge tackled as a family.
• When removing/reducing access, bolster with attractive non-screen activities, especially in the early adaptation period.
• Don’t be afraid to “walk it back” if needed; screens are not an irreversible gate.
• Consider technology alternatives and community solutions (e.g., groups agreeing to delay smartphone access).
• Recognize that sometimes, especially for vulnerable or marginalized kids, online access can provide essential affirmation and support.

In the words of Caitlin Gibson (28:45):
“It is tricky because, again, there isn’t so much of a one size fits all… If you are a parent who wants to scale back, … come up with a lot of good alternatives. … You will get resistance … so if you’re taking something away, you should probably do a little bit of extra work to make sure you’re offering some compelling alternatives...”

For more: Visit The Washington Post’s family and tech coverage, and explore the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Family Media Plan tool.